NSW police have been offered a wage increase of almost 40 per cent in what has been described as "generational change."
Representatives from the Police Association liaised with their Newcastle and Hunter members on Tuesday to relay details of the four-year, $697.6 million offer from the NSW Government.
Under the deal, NSW officers will become the highest-paid police force in Australia.
A non-commissioned officer will receive a 19 per cent base pay increase over four years. Adding in allowances and accelerated pay scales, officers will earn a wage increase of between 22 and 39 per cent.
"This is a good deal and generational change," Police Association president Kevin Morton told the Newcastle Herald.
"It's almost a reset for our members in the NSW Police Force to get them back on track with good pay and conditions.
"If they accept them on November 18, it will make it attractive for people who want to be a police officer."
Other sweeteners in the deal include a one-off $5,400 Leadership Retention Payment to senior police officers who undertake a leadership and well-being training program to support and rehabilitate injured officers and the consolidation of pay scales.
This enables an officer to reach the top level of senior constable within nine years, rather than the previous 15.
In September NSW Police had 2280 vacancies, the highest in Australia. There are 16,000 officers employed, of which 1000 are on sick or injury leave.
Mr Morton said membership had been dwindling due to inadequate wages.
"We had our members leaving because they have the same cost-of-living pressures as every other family in NSW," he said.
"When you see wages in the private sector, we had to make sure we struck a deal that had parity with those private sector wages to ensure they weren't leaving because they were chasing better money.
"Many didn't want to leave. They loved being a police officer. Now with this award deal, pay and conditions, they have the opportunity to stay in the job they love."
Mr Morton described the more than 10 months of negotiations with the NSW Police Minister and Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley, as "robust."
"To give her credit, she's a firm negotiator, but at the end of the day we both saw a need for a significant pay rise to retain our police," he said.
Ms Catley said the government's offer recognised the dangerous job undertaken by police.
"Officers risk their lives every day and absolutely deserve a pay rise which is why we have worked long and hard to put this offer on the table," she said.
"NSW police will no longer be the worst paid in Australia, which is the shameful legacy of the former Liberal government.
"The offer is now being put to a vote of members and I hope they are satisfied with what the government is offering."
